Danish Moazzam Minhas allegedly hired a classmate to hill his mother in 2009.

Danish Moazzam Minhas allegedly hired a classmate to hill his mother in 2009.

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Nur Mohamed admitted that he agreed to take $4,000 to kill the 43-year-old woman.

Nur Mohamed admitted that he agreed to take $4,000 to kill the 43-year-old woman.

Photo: HO

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Danish Moazzam Minhas, 17, and Nur J. Mohamed, 18, (behind him) appear in the 263rd State District Court at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010, they are charged with capital murder in the death of Tabassum Khan, 43, Minhas' mother, who police said was found dead Nov. 25 at an apartment unit in the 6000 block of Beverly Hill. Khan was stabbed multiple times and died at the scene. Investigators said that Minhas returned home from a rare night out alone and found his mother dead. It was later determined that the teen had hired Mohamed, a Lee High School classmate, to kill her. The teens admitted their roles in the stabbing, police said. Minhas said he wanted his mother dead because she was too strict and controlling. Mohamed said that Minhas paid him to kill her. ( Karen Warren / Chronicle )

Danish Moazzam Minhas, 17, and Nur J. Mohamed, 18, (behind him) appear in the 263rd State District Court at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010, they are charged with capital murder

Nur J. Mohamed, 18, and Danish Moazzam Minhas, 17, (NOT in this photo) appear in the 263rd State District Court at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010, they are charged with capital murder in the death of Tabassum Khan, 43, Minhas' mother, who police said was found dead Nov. 25 at an apartment unit in the 6000 block of Beverly Hill. Khan was stabbed multiple times and died at the scene. Investigators said that Minhas returned home from a rare night out alone and found his mother dead. It was later determined that the teen had hired Mohamed, a Lee High School classmate, to kill her. The teens admitted their roles in the stabbing, police said. Minhas said he wanted his mother dead because she was too strict and controlling. Mohamed said that Minhas paid him to kill her. ( Karen Warren / Chronicle )

Nur J. Mohamed, 18, and Danish Moazzam Minhas, 17, (NOT in this photo) appear in the 263rd State District Court at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010, they are charged with capital

The apartment at 6061 Beverly Hill #76 where charges have been filed against two suspects arrested in the fatal stabbing of Tabassum Khan, 43 Nov. 25, 2009. Suspects in the case are, Danish Moazzam Minhas and

The apartment at 6061 Beverly Hill #76 where charges have been filed against two suspects arrested in the fatal stabbing of Tabassum Khan, 43 Nov. 25, 2009. Suspects in the case are, Danish Moazzam Minhas and

The apartment at 6061 Beverly Hill #76 where charges have been filed against two suspects arrested in the fatal stabbing of Tabassum Khan, 43 Nov. 25, 2009. Suspects in the case are, Danish Moazzam Minhas and

Danish Moazzam Minhas and Nur Mohamed were classmates at Lee High School when Minhas' mother was found stabbed to death at her home in November 2009.

In court Thursday, Mohamed admitted that he agreed to take $4,000 to kill the 43-year-old woman and then promised to testify against the person he said hired him: her son.

If the 21-year-old testifies truthfully against Minhas, he can expect to be sentenced to 40 years in prison for murder. He will have to serve at least half of that before he is eligible for parole.

Minhas said he found the body of his mother, Tabassum Khan, and called authorities. It was two days before Thanksgiving and he had stayed out all night, he said, first on a date, then driving around Galveston.

When police examined the grisly scene, they found a bloody handprint on the doorknob.

Mohamed later said he had worn rubber gloves, but they had been sliced in the struggle. After he was arrested for drugs at school weeks after the slaying, police were able to match the prints. Confronted with the bloody evidence, he admitted his part, police said.

On the witness stand in Thursday, Mohamed said Minhas picked him up and took him to the apartment. He said Minhas went in to check that his mother was there, then left the door open and signaled him.